Saturday, April 30, 2011

Back in May of 2010 I posted a blog titled "Complete with real skulls" of this very interesting grave located in the I.O.O.F. cemetery in Eureka Springs, AR.

I posted her name as Annie Applemar in the previous post. I now believe her name is actually Annie Apple Van Marm, thanks to a much better photo posted on Arkansas Gravestones Project website and a little research I have done.

Here is the photo that Vickie Kane posted on the Arkansas Gravestones Project website.

You can clearly read "Annie Apple Marm" but if you look real close you can see the word "Van" is wedged in as if it was originally forgotten and added later.

So I started researching both names and this is the information I have come up with.

Note:

I may be reading this wrong but to me the following sounds to me as if Annie's mother, Luana, is writing to this website and also channeling Annie as well. I could be completely wrong but that is the way I am reading it. You can also go to the cited link below and see where Luana said :

"Annie Apple is dead....and working INTENSLY with all of Us here, form beyond the vail"

She was the vegan, tye dye queen, and stage dancer for the Greatful Dead, She danced with beautiful rainbow scarfs that She dyed Herself.

Hit on a bridge by a Wal Mart truck, the cameras immidiately started rolling right after the accident, so I saw the whole thing from many angles....a hundred times....including the part where She looked into the camera and whispered "mamma" ....and than, with the speed of insanity, She gasped and died.

500 people showed up for Her funeral and She is still to this day a local, and even an international legend......

Annie was Jerry Garcia's and Bobby Wier's favorite tye dye artist and stage dancer, singer and 12 string guitar player.....they came to Her funeral and payed for everything....so did Willy Nelson and members of his family

The article of her death and life was on the frount page of the Arkansas newspaper and they refered to Her as a "national Treasure"....Her beauty and power and art and dancing and music were also mentioned.

Her Father is Bernard Petar Van Marm who is a multimedia artist in Chicago

She never went to any school....She was a raw food vegan all of Her life. She studyed music and art since She was 5 years old

To say that She was physicaly beautiful, that would be an understatement...Long Golden Hair and big fat lips and boobs, and dazzeling blue eyes.

That is how She was in Life

This is how She is now

Hi Ken,
This is Annie, I read a lot of Your posts with My Mom, and of course She reads aloud all of the very amazing letters and s.a. s that are written in from others. I am here just outside of a warp from my Mom, I am here with a group of very cool and informed dead people and we work like You in-body do, we help pull everything together. I stay here with my mom and sister, Delilah, a lot, and I do many things for them because I am now able to go in and out of them, so I sometimes lend them my perspectives, and to gather we have been doing a lot of magic with our work to increase the Heart vibration of Earth Humans both dead and living.

Just like where You are there in body, there are also MANY dangers here, and MUCH work to be done....the lower levels here are choked with fumes and little pieces of Our Mother's Heart that just drift aimlessly without much consciousness ...My Mother and I have opted to go to these places and magnetically pull these tortured and confused magnetic particles into Our Loving Hearts, bring them to "the Light" and figure out what they need to live and be happy and sweet....again.

I very much appreciate it that You are curious about Me, very flattered and I Love the Miracle of being able to talk to You.

Annie Apple Van Marm

Wow !

Luana here, Why did You say that You were "Facinated"....was that a typo? cause if it wasn't....OMG !!!

I'm still on storm control duty so I gotta get back to that now.

and

Dont worry if I say "I Love You" ....in My clan here at My cottage we use "I Love You's" like comas and periods....just not the fake kind of "I Love Yous" rather We say I Love You in FULL counciousness.....so stress not ....We REALLY DO, "Love You"

so sue Us

Luana, Delilah and Annie Apple

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I also found a website that had a photo of Annie's grave and the referred to it as a Local Witch's Grave. (You can click the link and read what they have written about it.)

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I am still looking for more information so if any of you happen to come across any please feel free to send it my way.

Tammi, Annie Apple Van Marm was a friend of mine and others around Northwest Arkansas, a dear friend. She and 3 other wonderful folks did die in a car wreck almost exactly twenty years ago. They were all terribly young, especially Annie and full of life and love and it was a huge shock to all of us. What Luana says about her during her life, her friendship with members of the Dead, etc. is true, tho I think that Luana would agree that that's hardly as notable as Annie'spirit and joy for life. As for what Luana says about Annie after death, I can't speak to that. I don't really believe in such things, but I'm certainly not going to chalk any expression of mother's grief up to "too many magic mushrooms" and I would urge others not to do so as well.

I might be willing to talk to you a little more about this, if I can find the time, tho I don't really know what more there is to say. But please understand: these were good friends of mine and many other folks. Annie's gravesite is an uncommon one, it reflects an uncommon person. but no matter how fascinating it may seem, its not a simple curiousity, it is the resting place of a dear, dear person who died far too young. it deserves respect. Please tread lightly.

@Urk I mean no disrespect by posting Annie's grave site. My purpose of photographing and posting these photos are to document the wonderful markers/memorials that are place to remember the people who reside beneath them and to record their information so that my readers may know the person thru my research and photos. Also with my photos I hope to record the sites before time and the elements have taken its toll on them.

I think Annie's grave site is a beautiful and unique memorial to someone who was obviously beautiful and unique. Wish I had had the pleasure of knowing her when she was alive. I am sure I would have liked her.

Annie's is one of my favorites in the area. I took the photographs about 2 or 3 years ago and I have made several trips back to the cemetery since then. Sadly the structure is starting to show the effects of time. So I am glad I was able to record what it looked like before it was too late. I know someone who's family is buried near by who has had to reerect the structure a few times. I know the locals try hard to keep it up but sadly that may not always be the case.

I would love to see photos of her if you have any. I think putting faces with the momorials is very important and I was unable to find any of her. If you would like to share any more stories or photos please feel free to email me at nailgal123@gmail.com.

I would like to echo Urk's sentiments from above. It is important to note here that the discussion is not about someone who died a hundred years ago, but someone who passed recently enough to be remembered dearly by many people who are still very emotionally affected by the loss of the four people who died in that crash.

Though I was not as close to the people who passed as some of my slightly older friends were, the experience still marked a very critical time in my life and I was forever changed by it. This was my first real experience with death and loss of people that I knew personally, and the intensity with which it shocked my community was something that I will never forget. For the youth of Fayetteville and Eureka Springs of the time, this was the equivalent of the Challenger explosion. Ask anyone where they were when they heard the news and they would be able to tell you with crystal clarity. I can see how the mystery would be enticing to delve into. And I think Annie would be amused by the "witch" speculations and the general internet hullabaloo. But please consider also the communities that were (and still are) impacted profoundly by the loss of our dear friends... and turn the focus toward the vibrancy, love of life, joy, and positive creativity that we all cherished in them while they were here.

@ Tammi: I appreciate your compassionate response to Urk's statement above. I get a sense of sincerity and respect from you. My comments here are mostly directed toward the public forum in the hopes of providing a community context to this discussion. Thanks for posting the beautiful photos of Annie's grave.

I am glad to see Annie is still to this day causing a stir! I find this particularly amusing and I have no doubt she would find it that was as well. Its kinda funny that I came across this for several reasons, as you will read. I actually have been thinking about visiting her this Friday, so I could leave her a box of Honey Bunches of Oats, and well now I really have to. I miss her terribly. I miss sitting in her living room and having a chat so very much. She truly is a legend because she made EVERYONE feel special. Down to the checker over at the store. And she never asked anything of anyone. Really, I don't think anyone needs to get too serious or grave about this, because I sure as hell know she wouldn't want it that way. I do not think I have ever laughed with a person more in my life than when I was with her. I remember going on walks her and Hope through several graveyards in Fayetteville and stopping to admire the headstones, the peoples names, the years they lived, and speculating about their lives. It's like a circle, and now its time for her to be speculated about. And believe me, she was and still is greatness. It comforts me to know that while she has not been around for a long time, her spirit still keeps going around causing wonder, warm memories, mischief, and love. I hope people keep talking about her forever with smiles on their faces.

a note...i saw annie a year after her passing visiting hope wood in a hospital in eureka....i never believed in such things till that moment...have also been visited by hope after her passing...luanna: its good to know you are still out there

@Jennifer, very well spoken of that gorgeous creature we all miss. Annie radiated confidence and always made me feel bigger than I was, she rubbed off on all of us. My favorite memories of her and Hope (for those that don't know, Hope was her best friend who was never the same after losing Annie and died young as well) were them sitting on either side of me singing Heart songs acopella, my favorite being Magic Man.To be around Annie made one feel brightened. I grew up in a home with little love an was dissillusioned with it. I loved being around her and felt a genuine affection I hadn't known. This was the overal feel of the Fayetteville crowd we all called home, and friends.

Two weeks after the car wreck there were five bands that played in a big concert on Dickson Street to raise money to pay for the funerals. A lot of people came and there was a big drumming circle. A woman came from New Orleans and sang the most beautiful version of Amazing Grace I ever heard at Annie's burial. She was the only one there not crying and I wonder who she was because she was professional. I was a good close friend to Annie. She was always radiant with unconditional love and had an earthy spirit. She was just getting to be good on guitar before she left us and had me show her some riffs of songs she loved.

I had a very strong feeling while on a road trip around Apr 18-19 driving through Kansas-- to go home and look up Annie Apple van Marm on google when I got home. Around thirty years ago a neighbor of mine in Chicago on Webster St. told me he had a daughter in Michigan? whose name was Annie Apple. I thought that was a wonderful, original name. After a month or two I had no further contact with Bernie and really haven't thought about him for decades. So as my husband and I were driving from Arizona I had a STRONG feeling to look up the name. I was very distressed to find out that this girl had grown up and died tragically. I am very sorry to hear about this loss also but wonder why I 'needed to know' this info? There must be a reason. Does anyone know the significance of the dates?

I can still see you danceingin your second hand gownlaughing and skippingboth feet off the groundyour hair it was goldenand your eyes steely blueoh rainbow dancerhow this world misses you

rainbow dancertell me where can you beplease give me an answershine a light down on me

when they came threw the doorand they said you were gonei just fell to the floorwith no striength to go onroses are red loveand little violets are bluenot a light thats in this worldcan hold a candle to you

rainbow dancertell me where can you beplease give me an answershine a light down on me

we kept all your tye dyesand we kept your guitarwe wish that you had thembut we dont know where you areif you know some angelsand you must know a fewplease ask them to help usget a message to you

rainbow dancertell me where can you beplease give me an answershine a light down on me

This song and the music was written by the Man who scrubbed floors in a bar after it closed so he could afford dance lessons for His Girl....Her step Daddy, Robert Mortenson, who was the Love of Her life.....Her real Daddy Bernie, taught her art....His only Daughter...Who streight worshiped Her and never spoke an unkind word to her....Rainbow Dancer...tell Us where can You be...Please give us an answer, shine a light down on Us who feel like we can not live very well....with out You.

Just made aware of this website. I met Annie when she was 2 years old and that first meeting is crystal clear., She was angelic, mysterious, beautiful, and loving upon that first impression and throughout her whole life. After experiencing her growing up, I was really looking forward to knowing Annie the adult. I do so miss her. Her love for me always surprised me, never feeling worthy of it. She taught me about love way more than I could have taught her. It so lifted my spirits to find how many lives she touched with her warmth and love. She is eternally in my heart.

Annie Apple was an amazing, beauty!She was real. And she was my friend.She taught me how to 'be free' and to see people and things in a whole new way. I will forever treasure my time and experiences with her <3 Tina Meeks